How we use enquiry, customer, vehicle, job and website information
Sentinel Auto Keys Ltd | Company number: 16971317 | Registered in England and Wales
Registered office: 203 West Street, Fareham, Hampshire, England, PO16 0EN | VAT reg. no.: 524 6386 80
Telephone: 07377 406804 | Email: info@sentinelautokeys.co.uk | Website: sentinelautokeys.co.uk
Last updated: 2 November 2026
Who we are
Sentinel Auto Keys Ltd (company no. 16971317) is the data controller for personal information used in our mobile automotive locksmith business and through our website. You can contact us at info@sentinelautokeys.co.uk or 07377 406804.
Information we may collect
- Name, telephone number, email address, booking or service address, and relevant messages or correspondence.
- Vehicle registration, make, model, year, key or lock details, diagnostic or programming information, and job history.
- Evidence that you own or are authorised to use the vehicle. We normally record the type of ID or document checked
and the result rather than retaining a copy. - Job photographs, condition or security evidence, test results, invoices, payment status, warranty correspondence
and complaint records. - Technical identifiers reasonably necessary to provide a legitimate vehicle key, immobiliser, diagnostic or access
service, where applicable. - Website and device information such as IP address, browser or device type, pages viewed, referring page, cookie
or consent preferences, and information submitted through online forms or messaging links.
Website, cookies and similar technologies
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies for functions such as security, site operation, remembering preferences, performance and analytics. Essential technologies may be used where they are necessary to provide the
site or service. Where consent is required for non-essential analytics, advertising or tracking technologies, we will ask for it before using them.
Website information may be processed by our hosting, security, caching, analytics or website service providers. This includes Hostinger and, where enabled on the site, Google services. The technologies actually in use may change as the website develops. Where a cookie or consent tool is provided, it should be used to show current categories, purposes and durations and to allow you to change your choices. You can also control cookies through your browser, although blocking essential cookies may affect how the site works.
Why we use information and our lawful bases
- Contract: to provide quotations, arrange bookings, carry out requested work, take payment, provide invoices, follow up a job and deal with warranty or service concerns.
- Legal obligation: to keep accounting, tax and other records where the law requires us to do so.
- Legitimate interests: to prevent vehicle theft or fraud, verify authority, maintain appropriate job and security records, operate and secure our website and systems, improve our services, manage disputes and establish, exercise or defend legal claims. We balance these interests against your rights and freedoms.
- Consent: where required for optional direct marketing, certain non-essential website technologies, or publication of identifiable photographs, testimonials or other promotional material. You can withdraw consent at any time.
When information is required
Some information is necessary so that we can quote for, arrange or safely provide a service. Where information is reasonably required to verify that you own or are authorised to use a vehicle, or to perform the requested work, we may be unable to carry out the job if you do not provide it.
Where information comes from
We normally obtain information directly from you. We may also receive enquiry or booking details from an authorised person, a garage, dealer, fleet operator, breakdown provider, insurer, referral platform, social media or messaging platform, or another organisation acting with appropriate authority.
Who we may share information with
We only share personal information where it is reasonably necessary and lawful. Depending on the job, this may include payment processors, accountants, cloud and email providers, website hosting or technical providers, key or component suppliers, diagnostic or programming support providers, insurers, professional advisers, garages or trade partners involved in the work, and police, regulators or other authorities where disclosure is legally justified. We do not sell customer personal information.
International transfers
Some technology, cloud, communications or analytics providers may process information outside the UK. Where this happens, we require an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or safeguard where required by data protection law.
How long we keep information
We keep information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet legal, accounting, security, warranty or dispute requirements.
- Accounting and completed-job records are generally retained for up to six years, and may be kept longer where a lawful claim, investigation or legal requirement justifies it.
- Enquiries that do not lead to work are normally deleted within 12 months unless there is a legitimate reason to keep them longer.
- We normally inspect rather than copy identity documents. If a copy is exceptionally necessary, it will be deleted when the security or legal need has passed unless a specific lawful reason requires longer retention.
- Marketing preferences and consent records may be retained for as long as they are relevant, including records needed to respect an opt-out.
- Website and security logs, cookie information and analytics data are retained according to the purpose of the technology and the settings of the relevant provider or consent tool.
Security
We take reasonable measures to protect information, including restricting access to records, using appropriate account and device security, limiting unnecessary collection of identity information, and using reputable service providers. No system can be guaranteed completely secure, but we review our practices as our systems and services change.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to ask for access to your personal information, correction of inaccurate information, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, or withdrawal of consent. Some rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions.
Right to object: where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object to that processing. We will consider your objection in accordance with data protection law. You also have the right to object to direct marketing at any time.
To exercise a right, contact us at info@sentinelautokeys.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
Marketing
We will only send optional promotional marketing where we have an appropriate lawful basis. Where consent is relied on, you can withdraw it at any time. You can also ask us to stop direct marketing at any time. Service messages about an enquiry, booking, payment, warranty or existing customer relationship are not marketing.
Publicity and vehicle photographs
We may take job photographs for condition, security, technical or evidential purposes. We will not publish customer-identifiable photographs, personal details or testimonials without an appropriate lawful basis and, where required, your permission. Before publication, we will remove or obscure vehicle registrations, addresses and other
identifying details unless there is a lawful reason and appropriate permission to publish them.
Automated decision-making
We do not use customer information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal effects or similarly significant effects.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how we use your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve them. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection. Information about making a complaint is available at ico.org.uk
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice when our services, systems, suppliers, website technologies, retention practices or legal obligations change. The current version will be made available on our website and the ‘Last updated’ date will show when it was revised.
This notice should be read together with any current cookie or consent information displayed on sentinelautokeys.co.uk